Blackjack Card Values: Explained by a Joe-xpert

Most blokes and ladies think they can just waltz up to a blackjack table at Joe Fortune and wing it. But playing without knowing blackjack card values is like going camping without a torch—you’re eventually going to step in something you regret.

Not on my watch. The values of blackjack cards are easy as. Come with me, and I’ll get you sorted.

Understanding Card Values in Blackjack

In the grand scheme of things, most cards are exactly what they say on the tin.

If you see a 2, it’s worth two. If you see a 7, it’s worth seven. It’s as honest as a country butcher. However, the deck has a few big hitters that don’t play by the standard rules. Those would be the face cards, which are worth 10, and the Ace, which is worth either 1 or 11. More on that in just a sec.

Face Card Values

King, Queen, and Jack playing cards are fanned in the centre of a green circle on a yellow background. A red heart with a ‘10’ and white wings flutters to the side.

Now, let’s talk about the royalty, aka the face cards. These cards are dressed up like they’re heading to a Melbourne Cup marquee, while the rest of us are in our Bintang singlets at Woolies. Let’s focus on the former.

When it comes to the value of cards in blackjack, the face cards are some of your highest values, and thus, your best mates for drawing a natural blackjack. They’re consistent with their value, and they don’t play games with your heart, not even the “heart” suits. Here is the breakdown.

The Jack (10): How much is a jack worth in blackjack? Simple. It’s worth 10. Whether he’s looking left or right, he’s a 10. That’s more than I can say for myself in the mirror.
The Queen (10): Naturally, the lady of the house is also worth a 10. When people ask, “How much is a queen worth in blackjack?” I always say: she’s worth a lot more on the table than she is in a divorce settlement. Just a bit of modern relationship humour for ya.
The King (10): If you’re wondering how much a king is worth in blackjack, don’t overthink it. Like his counterparts, he’s also a solid 10.

Value of Aces: The Wild Child of the Deck

The Ace is the most interesting character in the deck. It’s the chameleon, as versatile as a multi-tool you find at the bottom of a tackle box.

So what is ace worth in blackjack? The answer is: it depends on what value works best for your hand. An Ace can be worth 1 or 11.

It can serve as an 11 to get you close to 21. But if you pull a high card, you can douse it down to a 1 to protect your hand from busting.

For example. If you have an Ace and a 6, it counts as 17. But if you hit and pull a 10, the Ace realises you’d be at 27 (bust!) and instantly reverts to being a 1, giving you a total of 17 again. It’s the only card that’s got your back when things get hairy.

The best part is that you don’t have to worry a lick about this. The software at Joe Fortune is smarter than a kelpie. It will automatically calculate the highest possible value for your hand.

Working Out Your Total Hand Value

On a green background, a classic calculator shows ‘7 spades + 9 hearts.’

Adding up your hand shouldn’t be harder than counting how many lemonades are left in the esky (as staying sober for blackjack is helpful for the counting). Let’s look at some real-world examples of how the maths works.

A Regular Total

Example 1: You’re dealt a 7 and a 9.

Calculation: 7 + 9 =16

(I can’t see a blackjack ‘16’ without a word of warning. This total is the danger zone. You’re not quite at 21, but a hit could send you over. Your move will depend on what card the dealer shows.)

Example 2: You’re dealt a 10 and a 10.

Calculation: 10 + 10 = 20.

(And with two of them, even though you have the option, you should never split 10s.)

The Face Card Combo

Example 1: You’re dealt a Jack and a 5.

Calculation: 10 + 5 =15

Example 2: You’re dealt a Queen and a 9.

Calculation: 10 + 9 = 19

Boom. Einstein’s in the house.

The Ace Power Move

Example 1: You’re dealt an Ace and a 4.

Initial Value: 11 + 4 =15 (This is a “Soft 15”).

You Hit: You draw an 8.

New Calculation: 15 + 8 = 23. Since you would have busted with 23, the Ace automatically counts as 1. So, 1 + 4 + 8 = 13. You’re still alive! It’s like falling out of a tree but landing on your cousin (actually happened—he’s okay).

The Natural Blackjack

This is the holy grail. You’re dealt an Ace and a King (or any 10-value card).

Calculation: 11 + 10 = 21

Status: Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Assuming the dealer doesn’t also have a natural, which is a blackjack push, you’ve hit the 3:2 payout before the mosquitoes even had a chance to bite.

Soft Hand vs Hard Hand Values

A pink bear hand holds a 6 of diamonds and an Ace of spades, while opposite, a dry, cracking human hand holds a 10 of spades and 7 of hearts.

This is where the strategy gets as thick as the mud after a flood. You’ll hear blokes talking about “Soft” and “Hard” hands. These are blackjack card-value terms referring to hands with or without an Ace.

Although, since we dragged camping into this earlier, they might sound a bit like a bear’s furry paws vs. your sun-fried knuckles because you forgot to wear sunscreen. This is a friendly reminder that “slip, slop, slap” does not refer to the three-step process for making a Coles hot chook sandwich.

Soft Hands

A Soft Hand is any hand that contains an Ace that can still be counted as an 11 without going over 21.

Example: An Ace and a 6 is a “Soft 17.”

Strategy: Soft hands are great because they give you a safety net. You can hit a Soft 17, and there is zero chance of busting on the next card. It’s like having a spare tyre. You hope you don’t need it, but you’re glad it’s there when you’re 200km from the nearest town.

Hard Hands

A Hard Hand is a hand that either doesn’t have an Ace or has an Ace that must be counted as a 1 to avoid busting.

Example: A 10 and a 7 is a “Hard 17.”

Strategy: Hard hands are much more rigid. If you hit a Hard 17, any card over a 4 will send you packing. You have to be much more careful here. Like grabbing mudcrabs.

Understanding the difference changes how you play. With a Soft 17, you might double down in some circumstances to get more money on the table because you’re safe. With a Hard 17, you’d be a galah to do anything other than stand.

Final Thoughts

What are my final thoughts? It’s really sad that Coles cancelled the Hot Chicken Promise. OH. You mean about blackjack.

Knowing your blackjack card values is the foundation of the game. Once you’ve got these numbers burned into your brain, the game becomes a lot more fun, and hopefully, a lot more profitable.

Next time you’re logged in and the dealer slides those cards across the virtual felt, just remember: Face cards and 10s are your friends (worth 10), Aces are your safety net (worth 1 or 11), and regular numbers are the simple, as-is values you can count on (a 7 is worth 7). Try blackjack at Joe Fortune and put your new knowledge to the test.